Hello all, quote: If you absolutely want to suck data from an OPERATIONS file, you can 'load' it into Mastercam's database (as an MCX, 'cause that's what it is!) and then -> "...walk down operation tree and (retrieving) related nci elements... Thanks Roger, for some reason I was thinking there should be a separate read function for libraries... quote: But, why do you wish to pull data directly from an OPERATIONS file (on disk)? What would you be looking for in the OPERATION file? Imagine a number of NC programmers using local .operations files. Each of them most probably made some changes/improvements/tweaks over the years... In an infinite wisdom of standartizaton/unification/six sigmas/lean and so on... there is a push to consolidate all of it. Information stored in operation libraries needs to be analyzed/compared/categorized and eventually the best practices would surface. To pipe info from libraries through some stream processor would seem to be a reasonable way to avoid massive man-hours. FV.

Hello all, I would appreciate getting some pointers or hints of how to programatically read information stored in .operations file ( operations library). The next step which is walking down operation tree and related nci elements seems to be straightforward. The missing information is how to access data stored in library files? Does one need to cin raw data and unpack it into srutcures or there is a c-hook function which opens and processes the operation library data? After RTFM'ing over and over again I seems to be at lost... TIA. FV.

Hello all, Roger, thanks for the prompt reply. What I would like to extract is a group name, list of operations in a group, tool path parameters for each operation, contour or drill parameters as operation dictates. Tool information other then tool name for operation is not critical. It probably should be something like this '<' OPERATION_GROUPS '>' '<'OPERATION_GROUP '>' '<'GROUP NAME'>' "foo" '<'/GROUP_NAME'>' '<'OPERATIONS'>' '<'OPERATION'>' '<'NAME'>' "bar" '<'/NAME'>' '<'OPERATION type="Contour"'>' '<'COMMENT'>'Comment on Op#1 '<'/COMMENT'>' '<'OP_ID'>'1'<'/OP_ID'>' '<'OPCODE'>'1'<'/OPCODE'>' '<'TOOL'>' '<'TOOL_TYPE'>'10'<'/TOOL_TYPE'>' '<'TOOL_RADIUS_TYPE'>'0'<'/TOOL_RADIUS_TYPE'>' '<'TOOL_NAME'>' 1/2 inch Flat Endmill'<'/TOOL_NAME'>' ... '<'/TOOL'>' '<'TOOLPATH_PARAMETERS'>' ... '<'/TOOLPATH_PARAMETERS'>' '<'DRILL_PARMETERS'>' ... '<'/DRILL_PARMETERS'>' '<'CONTOUR_PARMETERS'>' ... '<'/CONTOUR_PARMETERS'>' '<'/OPERATION'>' '<'/OPERATIONS'>' '<'/OPERATION_GROUP'>' '<'/OPERATION_GROUPS'>' [ 04-17-2009, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: FV ]

Hello all, Does anybody have a code snippet related to the output(export) XML data or plain text from operations library file(*.operations)? Thank you in advance. FV.

Hello all, I had already posted a similar question in MasterCAM forum, my apologies for the duplicate posts. Did anyone have an experience working with the ProDrill SDT files? ( Those files are text files with TAP, Cbore and REAM info outputed from Solidworks part files with ProDrill supplied VB macro). My problem is that I need SDT file from ProEngineer. I had created SDT file using a Solidworks example part and macro which came with ProDrill. HOLE COORDINATE LISTING FOR: C:MCAM9MILLMC9PRODRILL_EXAMPLESPART099_INCH.SLDPRT ============================================================================================= UNITS: INCH Version: 1.01 ============================================================================================= 1 #8x32 Tapped Hole1[TAP - #8x32] 0.136 -2.9174;2.1887;0 -2.9174;2.1887;-0.4216 0.328 6 1/4x20 Tapped Hole1[TAP - 1/4x20] 0.201 3.1579;-0.6691;0 3.1579;-0.6691;-0.65 0.5 19 CBORE for 3/4 Socket Head Cap Screw1 0.7812 -0.6858;-0.5226;-2 -0.6858;-0.5226;-0.75 20 1 (1) Diameter Hole1 H7 1 1.2527;1.6691;-2 1.2527;1.6691;0 21 1 (1) Diameter Hole1 H7 1 1.2594;0.1836;-2 1.2594;0.1836;0 22 CBORE for 3/4 Socket Head Cap Screw1 1.1875 -0.6858;-0.5226;0 -0.6858;-0.5226;-0.75 23 CBORE for 3/4 Socket Head Cap Screw1 1.1875 -0.5992;1.1295;0 -0.5992;1.1295;-0.75 My questions: - For the tapped hole could I only include [TAP ] for the description field? - For holes marked TAP, am I correct by assuming that the first number is a drill diameter, the second field is the hole location on the top plane, the third field is the hole location on the bottom plane and the fourth field is the thread depth? - Lines #20 and #21 appeared to have a different Z direction for the hole comparing with lines #22 and #23. Is direction important for drill-through holes? - Lines #19 and #23 related to cylinders of the same counter bore hole. Is it necessary to include those cylinders in output file or ProDrill main application will detect counter bores automatically? User manual states on page 24: quote: Note that we are only concerned with the reamed and tapped holes. The rest of the forms are identified by ProDrill and assigned operations automatically! In case the measurements are not found in the corresponding tables, they will be automatically added to the tables. - Lines #19 and #23 again, if they are related to the same cbore drill thru could those lines be rewritten in the following form: 19 CBORE for 3/4 Socket Head Cap Screw1 0.7812 -0.6858;-0.5226;0 -0.6858;-0.5226;-2.0 23 CBORE for 3/4 Socket Head Cap Screw1 1.1875 -0.5992;1.1295;0 -0.5992;1.1295;-0.75 Thanks in advance. FV.

Hello all, Here is a question for ProDrill users. ProDrill User Guide states: quote: If the file was created in ProEngineer ® 2001 or Wildfire2, we have created a specific ProE® Drill table Macro that allows you to automatically generate the drilling information in an easily read ASCII format file. Contact us to get the download, installation and execution process. The feature import functions identical to the Solidworks and TopSolids files through the SDT file. We are working on supporting files originating from other major CAD systems that can provide the needed feature information. Did anybody download and use 'ProE® Drill table Macro'? I had contacted our reseller and Moldplus numerous times with no results. Solidworks VB macro indeed comes with ProDrill. TIA. FV.

Hello all, I was wondering if it possible to automate the process of making .mask files. Does C-Hook library have read/write functionality for .mask files? Is possible to import/export .mask to/from ascii text? TIA. FV.